Robert Frederic Brandt III

Robert Frederic Brandt, III, of St. Michaels, MD, died on Friday, December 28, 2018, at Talbot Hospice. Born in Louisville, KY, on September 17, 1946, he was the son of the late Robert Frederic Brandt, Jr. and Dorothea Burton Brandt. Robert is survived by his wife, Walda DuPriest-Brandt; sister, Ann Clayton Brandt of Versailles, KY; and his niece, Andrea Leigh Hale and her wife, Maureen Hershman, of Richmond, VA. He was a graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Journalism where he was managing editor of the student paper, “The Kernel.” He received an award for coverage of Robert Kennedy’s campaign in Kentucky. Upon graduation he began his career at the “Hartford Courant.” He later worked at the “Tampa Tribune,” “Miami Herald,” and “Washington Star” before moving to “Newsday” on Long Island, NY. During his 20-year career at “Newsday,” the newspaper received 11 Pulitzer Prizes for its news reporting. He eventually became Managing Editor and Vice President of Operations. “Newsday” developed from a regional newspaper to a world class newspaper and a total redesign on his watch. From 1998-2001, he served as a judge for the Hearst Journalism Awards Program, helping to groom college students for careers in the field. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Guide Dog Foundation based in Smithtown, NY. Several guide dogs were named “Bob” in his honor. In 2001, Brandt retired from “Newsday.” He and his wife moved to St. Michaels, MD, where he volunteered with “Christmas in St. Michaels” and served on the board of the Talbot Humane Society, Inc. In 2013, he published “Chameleon: The True Story of an Imposter’s Remarkable Odyssey” after several years of research and travel to Brooklyn, NY, and Caracas, Venezuela, where his character had lived. He had a life-long interest in music, stemming from playing guitar and singing in rock and roll bands in Louisville and Richmond, KY, which played locally and regionally. One of those bands backed up Ike and Tina Turner in concert and toured with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars. A visitation will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2019, from 10am until the time of the service at 11am at the Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., 200 S. Harrison Street, Easton, MD. Donations in his memory may be made to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, 371 E. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, NY 11787 or the Talbot Humane Society, Inc., 7894 Ocean Gateway, Easton, MD 21601.

Robert Frederic Brandt III

September 17, 1946 - December 28, 2018